For Always and Forever After
by Aya Kiana
Summary: AU Kagome, a powerful lords daughter in feudal Japan, had just had a huge fight with her father. When she gets kidnapped and meets InuYasha, will their developing feelings for each other anger her father. A tale of two starcrossed lovers! IK of course!
1. No Way!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha or any of its characters. But hey if someone wants to buy it for me I would be more than happy to accept.

A/N: This is my first fic and I'm gonna try really hard to make it a good one! It's AU and takes place in feudal Japan. BTW Kagome is the daughter of a rich lord. Inu's not in this chapter but just you wait cause there's no way I can go long without my fav character! This chapter is kinda short, but I'll try to make the next one longer.

Tell ya what, I'll start working on the next chapter right away if you leave me lots of reviews. So PLEASE REVIEW!

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter One: No Way!**

Kagome stood in the shade of a willow tree with tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't stand to cry in front of people, which is why she had run from the room when the argument became too heated. But being in the graveyard, standing in front of her mothers grave, didn't exactly help dry her tears. "Oh, Mom," she whispered quietly to herself, "Why did you have to die?"

Kagome couldn't stand to fight with her father, if you could even call him that. He always seemed to be busy and never had any time for her when she was little. They had never been very close. He was more like her master than her father! ´No decent father would try to force something like this on to his daughter! Kagome thought angrily and tears flowed back into her eyes at the memory of their conversation.

"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?" Kagome screamed out in shock at what her father had told her. She HAD to be hearing things. There was no way she could accept something like this. He wanted her to...

"To get married. I'll be reviewing a few of the top noblemen in the area and I'll let you know when I have decided which one I want you with. The two of you should meet immediately. You can get married at the beginning of next year."

How could he expect her to marry someone she didn't choose? Someone she barely even knew? Didn't he care if she was happy? Did he care about her at all? At first, Kagome didn't know what to do. What would he say if she refused? Was refusing even an option?

"I don't want to get married yet, and I definetly don't want to marry someone I don't know!" Kagome could barely contain herself. The very idea was horrifying.

"You will do what I tell you."

"LIKE HELL I WILL!"

She could tell her father was about to explode. His face was getting red with anger and he looked seriously pissed. He should have known she'd never agree to this. Who was he kidding? Surely he couldn't force her to get married!

"You are MY daughter, Kagome, and if I say you will, then you will! It's my responsibility to choose someone appropriate for you!"

"Don't you think I'm capable of doing that myself? Doesn't what I want matter?"

"Honestly, Kagome, No, it doesn't. You will marry who I tell you to marry whether you like it or not."

By this point, Kagome had tears in her eyes and realized she was about to lose it. She turned and ran out of the room and away from her father as fast as her feet could carry her.

She still couldn't believe it had come to this. She had always known he would only allow her to marry someone that he approved of, but she never thought that he would actually want to pick her husband for her. She sighed as the wind picked up and blew the sleeves of her autumn kimono gently in the breeze. At least she had finally stopped crying, but she still couldn't figure out what to do. There was no way she was going to marry someone she didn't love. But how was she going to get out of it?

"Kagome-sama?"

Kagome turned slightly when she heard her hand maid call her name. Even though it wasn't exactly proper, this girl was the only close friend she had ever had.

"Hello, Sango!" Kagome flashed Sango a bright smile even though she was miserable. She could never express herself the way she wanted to around people, even people she was close to. Sango frowned and looked worried.

"Are you ok, Kagome-sama? I heard what happened..." Kagome's smile faltered for a second and she felt like crying again.

"I'm fine," she answered quietly, sounding completely unconvincing. She could tell by the sympathetic look Sango was giving her that her act wasn't working at all. Kagome took off her mask and frowned. "I just don't know what to do."

"It'll be okay. Maybe he'll change his mind, or maybe the guy won't be that bad. I'll still be with you though. I promise I'll do whatever I can to help." Another smile spread across Kagome's face but this time it was genuine. It was just like Sango to be there for her like that. Kagome knew Sango would be there no matter what happened, and that thought comforted her a lot.

"Thank you, Sango."

"Anytime!"

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It was getting dark. Kagome shivered slightly from the coldness of the season. She was also getting pretty tired and it was still a little ways back to the castle. She silently cursed herself for deciding to blow off some steam by taking a walk. Her father was probably furious, that is if he even noticed she was gone. He was probably too busy coming up with new ways to ruin her life. Sango must be worried too. Kagome had snuck off without her noticing. She just needed to be alone for a little while so she could think, but she should have at least mentioned it to Sango.

"Damn wind," she said softly under her breath as it bit into her sending a chill up her spine. She glanced at the moon which shown brightly now in the night sky. Somehow, it managed to calm her down a little. It looked so big from where she was. ´I wonder how far away it is, she silently asked herself.

A noise somewhere to her left stole her attention. It was so dark that she could barely see what it was that had made the sound, but she could barely make out a shadowy silhouette. Kagome instantly stiffened. Why was the person moving so slowly?

"Sango?" Kagome could hear her voice shaking. She was scared. Whoever it was definetly didn't seem to be friendly. She was just about to turn and run when someone grabbed her from behind and started to pick her up. She did the only thing she could think of doing, she screamed. A hand quickly shot over her mouth, and she started kicking, trying her best to get free. Then, everything went black.

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	2. A Heroic Stranger

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters in it... but someday i might!

A/N: Thanx for reviewing guys! I'm not sure how this story is going to end yet so as it goes on don't hesitate to give me suggestions!

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter 2: A Heroic Stranger**

The creaking of the wooden floor in Kagome's bed chamber echoed off the walls as Sango paced nervously back and forth in front of the door. She had been looking for Kagome for the past few hours and became even more worried when another servant informed her that Master Higurashi wished to speak with his daughter before she went to bed. She hadn't told the woman that she didn't know where Kagome was, perhaps she had thought she would be able to find her in time. She never dreamed Kagome would stay out so late. "What if something has happened to her?"

At that moment the doors flew open and Lord Higurashi stormed in angrily, causing Sango to nearly jump out of her skin. He took a quick glance around the room, presumably looking for his daughter. He then averted his gaze to the now panicking girl to his right. Sango could feel her skin paling from the look he was giving her.

"Where is she?"

"I.. I don't... know..." Sango managed to stammer out. If Kagome wasn't already in trouble, she was now. Sango cursed herself for ratting out her friend, but she couldn't think of what else to say. She watched as Kagome's father sent her an icy glare and then turned his attention to elsewhere in the room.

"So, she's run away has she?" As obvious an answer as it was to Kagome's sudden disappearance, she hadn't thought of it. It did make sense, and seemed like the most likely reason that Kagome hadn't come home that night, but Sango couldn't believe it. Kagome would never do something so rash, would she?

"No! She didn't run away! She wouldn't do that." Lord Higurashi glanced back toward Sango and she instantly lost her nerve. He then redirected his attention to an attendant waiting outside the door.

"Send some guards out to look for her. Tell them to check the mountains. It doesn't matter how it happened, the point is she's gone and I need her here." The second part of his remark was directed toward Sango, though he didn't look at her. The attendant gave him a deep bow and then hurried off to deliver the order. He turned back towards Sango and waited. After an uncomfortable pause she remembered she was suppose to bow and she quickly bent far over the second she realized what he was waiting for.

"Hai, Higurashi-sama," she said quietly enough to sound subordinate but loud enough for him to hear. She suddenly realized how disrespectful she had been. She had even yelled at him! He obviously hadn't believed her when she said she didn't think Kagome would run away. He probably thought she had helped her escape. 'Just great.'

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Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she was instantly blinded by the midday sun glaring down at her. Her head was throbbing. That was the first odd thing she noticed, the second was the fact that she was outside. She remembered taking a walk near the forest and hearing a strange noise, but that was it. She tried to bring a hand to her aching skull only to find that she was tied up and unable to use her arms.

"Where the heck am I?" she whispered to herself. Looking down, she noticed the ground was moving. "What the?" This time her voice was much louder, and she heard the cart she now knew she was riding in slow to a stop. A man's head peered down on her from the front of the wagon.

"Hey, boss, she's awake." An older man jumped off the horse he was riding and came to stand beside her. Kagome twisted herself into a sitting position. She glanced around and noticed there were three other men on horse back, not including the one driving the wagon. The men were all dressed in rags and had bits of third rate samurai armor. The man beside her, their leader, had a more complete set of armor, though it was terribly worn.

"Are you bandits?" Kagome had never actually seen a bandit, but she imagined that these horribly clothed men with weapons couldn't possibly be real samurai. If they were bandits, then that could only mean one thing, she had been kidnapped. She tried not to look too afraid, but was failing miserably. 'What on Earth are they going to do to me?' her mind screamed.

"My, aren't you smart," the oldest man retorted sarcastically. "Yes, we are, and if you want to make it home in one piece you better not cause any trouble." Kagome could hardly breath. Her face went completely white and she knew her mask had come totally off. The men around her just laughed.

"What are you going to do with me?" Not knowing her fate was more than she could bare. She had to ask, though she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Nothing, so long as your father pays the ransom." The man sounded truthful enough, and Kagome became slightly calmer. At least she knew she wouldn't be raped and murdered or sold into slavery. "Speaking of which, Tobimaro, I think they're plenty worried about her now back at the castle. Why don't you take the note and leave it by the gate where you're sure someone will find it.

"Gotcha, boss," one of the men on horse back said before turning and speeding quickly off. Kagome wondered just how far they were from the castle. If she screamed would anybody hear her? She thought for a moment and decided not to risk it. If the man beside her was telling the truth, they wouldn't hurt her as long as she cooperated. She then wondered how much they were asking for. What if her father didn't want to pay it and instead tried to take her back by force?

They continued riding for several more hours. The messenger had returned quite a while back. After what seemed like forever, they stopped by a river to rest and let their horses drink. Kagome was given some water and was now leaning against the back of the wagon as the bandits lounged in the shade. One of the younger men kept looking at Kagome, making her extremely uncomfortable.

"Hey, boss, why don't we have some fun with the girl. It'll be hours before anyone comes." The man who spoke wore a suggestive grin and Kagome felt her blood run cold.

"No! We're not gonna touch her!" Kagome let out a sigh of relief. Though she didn't know why, they really weren't going to hurt her.

A few more hours went by and the leader of the group as well as two of the men had left to patrol the area. The castle guards would most likely be there soon and it would all be over. The two men who stayed behind to watch Kagome were in a quite discussion over by the river. She looked toward them only to see the two both staring at her. One of the men had been the one who made the frightening comment about "having some fun with her".

They exchanged glances, one smiled and started walking toward her, followed shortly by the other. As they got closer, she started screaming for help. The two men grabbed her and one held her mouth tightly shut as they forced her to the ground. She tried anything to get lose, and might have succeeded if she had only had one attacker. She felt her obi being ripped off and saw it thrown to the side. She was writhing to get free but to no avail. One man sat on her waist while the other held her arms high above her head making it impossible to struggle. She clenched her eyes tightly shut as she prepared to have her kimono ripped off, but it never happened. Instead, she felt the person straddling her waist being thrown off of her and she heard a loud thud as he hit the ground. Her eyes shot open and she saw a man with long white hair and dog ears on his head turn to face her other attacker. He had beautiful, glowing amber eyes and was dressed completely in red. Kagome silently wondered why a youkai was saving her.

"Who the hell are you?" One of her attackers spat out, the other was unconscious from being thrown into a tree.

"No one special."

"Get lost, this has nothing to do with you!"

"Feh!" was all the youkai said before charging the man. Kagome could see that he had a sword at his hip, though he wasn't drawing it. As the bandit reached for his sword and swung, the youkai dodged by jumping into the air and landed a punch square in the man's face. The bandit fell to his knees, then scrambled to get away, leaving his partner unconscious where he had fallen.

The youkai then looked toward Kagome and quickly away again with a blush painted across his cheeks when he saw that her kimono was almost half way off. She quickly grabbed her obi and placed it back around her waist. She stood and walked cautiously toward her rescuer.

"Umm... Thank you for saving me," she stammered out quickly while looking at the ground. When she looked back up she saw that he was walking back into the forest. "Hey! There are more of those guys and I have no idea where I am!" She saw him stop when she shouted, and he clearly looked annoyed. Now that she got a good look at him, she noticed that he was very young, only a few years older than her. He rolled his eyes and let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, follow me," And with that said he turned and continued walking. Kagome stood there a second longer and looked behind her to make sure that the bandits hadn't returned before following him into the forest. She jogged to catch up with him and walked a few minutes in silence before he spoke.

"So, where do you live?" he asked impatiently. 'How rude!' Kagome thought dejectedly to herself. Being a lord's daughter and all, she had never been spoken to with such disrespect.

"I live at the Higurashi Clan Castle," she retorted not too politely.

"Where on earth is that?" he shouted. Just great! She was dealing with a disrespectful moron!

"Somewhere near this forest!" she all but yelled at him. InuYasha rolled his eyes again. Just great! He had saved a stupid bitch!

"Good luck finding it," he said as he jumped into a tree and started racing off.

"WAIT! Where are you going?" Kagome screamed desperately. If he left no one would be able to protect her from those men.

"Away from you!" InuYasha shouted back. He was just about to really start moving when he heard the one sound he couldn't stand, a girl crying. He stopped on a tree branch and turned back toward the girl to see that she had fallen to her knees and was balling her eyes out. He raced back toward her and stood over her trying to calm her down.

"C'mon, don't cry! I was just kidding!" he pleaded.

"But... but you're gonna leave me out here all alone! And I'll get eaten or raped or killed or... or..." Kagome ran out of horrible scenarios and started crying again. The stress of the past day had suddenly become too much for her and she couldn't bare to be alone.

"No I'm not! C'mon stop crying!" InuYasha was now on his knees beside her. Kagome's tears slowed down and she lifted her tear stricken face toward the boy before her.

"So... you'll take me home?" Her eyes were pleading and InuYasha cursed himself for his compassion toward women.

"Fine," he whispered after a long pause. Kagome didn't seem completely convinced.

"You promise?" She whispered hopefully.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"Yay! Thank you so much! I promise to be good!" Kagome's mood returned to normal. For some reason, she really felt like she could trust this person. "So, why did you save me anyway?" Kagome asked. "It seems weird for a youkai to save a human."

"Yeah, well I'm not a youkai. I'm a hanyou, and my name is InuYasha in case you're wondering." Kagome blinked. He didn't exactly answer her question, more like avoided it, and his name was strange yet oddly familiar.

"InuYasha," Kagome said to herself to get the feel of it. "Interesting name. Mine is Kagome." She flashed him a bright smile and he gave her a look. 'Okay,' she thought to herself, 'Not the most social person, is he?'

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A/N: How did you like it? Leave me a REVIEW to let me know!


	3. A Night By the Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha blah di blah di blah etc. etc.

A/N: Again, thanx for your reviews! I've got a lot of ideas for this story but the ending isn't really there yet. I'm thinking about having somebody die. How would you all feel about that? Let me know! **REVIEW!**

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter Three: A Night By the Fire**

**By: Aya Kiana**

Servants bustled around outside the Higurashi Clan Castle as the sun began moving toward the horizon. No word on Kagome's whereabouts was known to anyone within the castle and many maids were distracted because they were too busy worrying about their young mistress. If they had been more alert, they might have noticed a small scroll that the wind had blown into the bushes sooner.

Rin, a young maid whose duty it was to deliver messeges to various rooms around the castle, was playing outside with some of the local village children. When the makeshift ball they were kicking went into the bushes, Rin ran over to grab it and noticed the scroll lying very near to the ball. She decided to pick the scroll up instead.

"What'cha lookin at?" Rin turned to see one of the boys she had been playing with had snuck up behind her and was trying to look into her hands.

"Nothing," she shot back quickly and placed the scroll into her kimono. She then grabbed the ball and threw it back to the other kids. "I gotta go now. See you guys tomorrow!" She hollered back to her friends and raced off into the castle. When she was within the gate, she pulled the note out and read it. Her eyes instantly grew huge with each word and before she had even finished reading she raced off to Kagome's bed chamber.

"Sango! Sango!" She screamed as she came into the room. Sango looked up from the blanket she was mending and gave Rin a curious look.

"Look what I found!" Rin screamed as Sango reached out to take whatever it was Rin had gotten so worked up about. She was expecting a bug or something that little kids normally find amazing and was surprised when Rin placed a scroll in her hand.

"Rin! You aren't suppose to read the scrolls you deliver! You're gonna get in trouble if anybody finds out!"

"But I wasn't told to deliver it! I found it outside under a bush!" Sango could tell Rin was gonna explode if she didn't read the scroll immediately. With a small sigh, she unwrapped the paper and began reading. As she saw each word cross the page she became more and more worried. A look of pure shock was all over Sango's normally calm face.

"OH, MY GOD!" Sango nearly screamed.

"I KNOW!" Rin sounded a little less enthusiastic, as if she were discussing a rumor or something silly.

"Rin! Have you taken this to the master yet?" Sango looked as though she was panicking, and she was.

"Nope!" Rin smiled, "I brought it straight to you." She sounded quiet pleased with herself until Sango answered her.

"Take it right now!" Sango left no room for discussion.

"But... but I'm scared of the master!"

"Rin! Kagome's been kidnapped!"

"Okay, fine!" And with that said, Rin turned and ran out of the room and down the hall toward the master's chamber. She showed the attendant the note and he pushed her in instantly and left after announcing to Lord Higurashi that Rin had a message for him. She brought it forward when he nodded and took a step back after placing it on the table where he seemed to be working on something. She remained standing in the room, informing him that the scroll needed to be responded to immediately.

He sighed when he saw that she wasn't leaving and reached for the note while complaining, "What is it now?" He picked the piece of parchment up and read it carefully. His face showed almost no sign of emotion or particular interest in the message. When he finished, he placed the scroll back on the table and remarked, "So, she was kidnapped." He then summoned one of his gaurds and wrote a letter which the gaurd was to deliver to his compainions searching the mountains for their young mistress. The letter would inform them that she had been kidnapped by bandits and they were to find her and bring everyone back to the castle.

However, at that moment the attendant reentered the room informing everyone that the gaurds had returned with some bandits they had caught in the mountain. He said they had found the lady's hair ornament in the wagon the theives had with them but that the mistress herself was not there. Lord Higurashi got up from his desk and stormed out to the castle entrance to see the five bandits on their knees on the ground with their hands tied tightly behind their backs. The gaurds were lined up behind them.

"Well?" Lord higurashi boomed out. The captain of the gaurds took a step forward and bowed before adressing the lord.

"They say they didn't take her, but we found this," he held up a large, oval shaped, hand painted hair clip, "In the wagon they were traveling with. One of their men was baddly injured at the time. We suspect that someone else took her by force." The lord pondered this for a moment and then looked toward the oldest of the bandits, who was positioned in the center.

"Did someone else take her?" The gaurd shook his head and paused for a moment before speaking.

"We never kidnapped anybody. We were attacked by thieves, I believe they were accompanied by a young girl."

"They had knives and swords in the back of their wagon." The gaurd captain spoke up. It was extremely unlikely that thieves would not steal their weapons, proving that their story was a lie.

"Indeed. Finish them off. I have no use for them." Lord Higurashi turned and started walking back into the castle.

"WAIT!" One of the young bandits yelled as the gaurds began to raise their spears. The lord turned his head and looked back before holding out his hand, calling off the attack. There was a pause and then the boy continued. "We did kidnap the girl, but we weren't going to hurt her! She was stollen by a youkai. He had long white hair, dog ears, and wore red. We will find him and return the lady. Please just let us live." The boy looked desperate as he hung on the master's answer. Lord Higurashi turned his head back around and continued walking.

"Kill them, then go and find the youkai and bring my daughter back." He replied calmly. The gaurds did as they were ordered and then rode back out into the mountains. Sango watched sympathetically from the castle's veranda as the men were executed. She couldn't help but feel sorry for them, even if they had kidnapped Kagome. She turned and headed back toward Kagome's room nervously. 'Oh, God, Kagome! What's happening to you?'

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"You better not try to peek!" Kagome warned InuYasha as she got ready to take a bath in the hot springs they had found. He just rolled his eyes.

"Why would I wanna look at you? Now maybe if you were sexier..." He started but was cut off when Kagome slapped him in the back of the head. "What wazzat for?"

"For being rude," Kagome retorted. "Now just stay here while I take a bath." Kagome moved from where she was standing behind one of the many large rocks that formed a ring around the spring to a very low rock out of InuYasha's sight. She took off her obi and autumn kimon, then glanced back over her shoulder before removing the inner layer and quickly getting in the water. It was heaven. She leaned back against a smooth rock and let out a relaxed sigh. Her eyes fell closed and Kagome thought she felt calmer than ever before in her life. That is, until she remembered a boy she hardly knew was just a few yards away behind a rock. She quickly turned her head in InuYasha's direction and was surprised when she saw he really wasn't looking. 'So, he's not a pervert.'

Reasured that he wouldn't try to peep at her, Kagome let herself relax. However, her mind was plagued with trying to figure out how she was going to get home. InuYasha had no idea where her castle was and neither did she. Hopefully, finding a village and asking the people there for help would point them in the right direction. Until then, she was stuck in the forest with InuYasha, but she trusted him. In fact, it seemed odd to her how much she trusted him. After all, he was a hanyou and a guy. Those were both bad enough on their own, but he had saved her and was willing to help her. So, she'd have to trust him.

Speaking of InuYasha, he was sitting behind the bolder convincing himself that peeking wasn't worth getting caught. She wasn't THAT pretty. However, hearing a girl undress and splashing around in water, and knowing she's only a few feet away from you, puts any guys self-control to the test. InuYasha growled as his annoyance rose. She was taking forever! He was still angry about being suckered into practically babysitting her until she found her way home, but his conscious wouldn't let him leave a defenseless girl alone and lost in the middle of the woods, especially with bandits and youkai at every turn.

InuYasha was torn from his thoughts when he heard Kagome scream. He was on his feet and jumping over the rock instanly, and landed with his hand already gripping his sword. However, all he saw was Kagome standing at the back of the spring looking slightly alarmed and he froze. He silently realized how much kimono's hide a girls figure. Kagome looked up from the water and saw that InuYasha was there. She blinked, which was followed by an awkward pause and InuYasha realized he should probably stop looking at her. He truned his head away and thought that leaving would be a good idea as he subconsciuosly glanced back at the shocked girl.

Snapping out of her trance, Kagome quickly ducked under the water and, while using the other arm to cover herself, used one arm to throw a rock at InuYasha, who finally seemed to get the message and leave. Shortly after, she emerged out of the hot spring fully clothed and gave him a look that clearly told him he was dead.

"Hey, you were the one who screamed. What was I suppose to do?" He tried to defend himself. It didn't seem to be working since Kagome still looked angry.

"I saw a snake! And besides, you should have left when you saw that I was okay!" Kagome shot back. InuYasha faltered for a moment as he tried to think of a response that wouldn't make him look like a pervert.

"I was distracted!"

"Pervert!" Okay, so he failed. He growled before replying.

"I am NOT a pervert!" InuYasha said loudly.

They continued walking in the direction of the nearest village in silence for about a minute until Kagome quietly whispered, "Pervert." InuYasha quickly turned and gave her a look. He looked like he was about to scream, but he swallowed his pride and decided to just put an end to it already.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I should have left sooner. I was just worried about you." Though she could hardly hear the last thing he said, she felt kind of guilty for arguing with him. It didn't seem like apologizing was something he did often. She let all her anger out in a small sigh.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have freaked out over a snake." They continued walking in an uncomfortable silence. Kagome felt as if the air around her was getting thicker and it was getting slightly harder to breathe. Her face was a light shade of red. She couldn't help but blush when she fully realized that he had seen her naked. At first she had just been angry, only now was she feeling self-conscious. The silence was almost unbearable and she decided to break it once agian.

"So, how far away is this village?" She glanced at him as she waited for an answer. InuYasha thought for a moment and then responded.

"About a two days walk." He said calmly. Kagome groaned. She had thought that the closest village would be closer.

---------------------------------

InuYasha stared into the darkness around him. Aside from a few night owls calling in the distance and the sound of the fire burning, the forest was silent. He lounged against a large tree while watching the girl across from him as she slept soundly. Her autumn kimono was draped over her and she was lying on top of a bed she had fassioned out of fallen leaves. How she could sleep so peacefully when she was lost in the mountains was beyond him. She had probably never spent a night away from home in her life. Now that he had time to think, InuYasha marveled at the odd situation life had put him in. He was a loner and had been ever since his mother died when he was six. He had never had as much interaction with another person as he had had today since she died. However, he knew it wouldn't last. Once he had returned her to her home he would never see her again.

InuYasha felt a sharp pain run through his heart at the thought of leaving her. She was, afterall, someone to talk to, no matter how meaningless the conversation. Other than when she thought he was being a pervert, she actually didn't mind being around him. And here he had thought rich girls were suppose to be stuck up. He looked back toward her again and watched as the night wind gently blew her bangs to the side. She shivered as the cold sunk into her skin. InuYasha rose up off the ground and walked over to her while pulling off his red haori. He knelt down beside her and placed it over top of her small form. She ceased shivering and made a small murming sound in her sleep that he couldn't quite make out. Perhaps she was more than an annoying and whiny nag, as had been his first impression. Had they met under normal circumstances, maybe she would have actually been cute. Then again, how would a girl like her ever meet a hanyou under normal circumstances?


	4. The Monk With a Deal

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and probably never will no matter how much I wish I did.

A/N: Thank you all for reviewing and please keep it up. I adore feedback! The Tale of Genji, which is mentioned in this chapter, is a very old Japanese novel written in the 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu. It was the world's first novel. This chapter is dedicated to my best friend Skye because Sango and Miroku are her favorite couple and because her birthday is on May 27th. Happy Birthday Skye!

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter Four: The Monk With a Deal**

**By: Aya Kiana**

Kagome awoke to the bright morning of the world around her. The recent events in her life still felt like a dream and she was a little startled to see that she was in a forest until she remembered all that had happened. The morning air was cold and crisp. Dawn had probably been no more than an hour ago, and Kagome was surprised that she had awoken so early. She closed her eyes and tried to snuggle back into the warmth of her kimono. It seemed a little heavier than usual. Kagome sat up and saw InuYasha's red haori laying over top of her make shift blanket. She was surprised, but still smiled to herself softly.

Kagome glanced toward the large tree he had positioned himself against the night before. He was slumped against it with his head tilted toward the ground sleeping peacefully. His long silvery hair blew gently in the breeze and every once in a while one of his ears would twitch. Does he always sleep like that?' Kagome wondered. It must be so uncomfortable. Was he keeping watch in case the bandits were to come back?'

She glanced back toward his haori. The previous night had been so cold. She picked up his shirt and carried it toward him. When she reached the tree she knelt down beside him and gently touched his arm. His skin was freezing and she silently marveled that someone could fall asleep like that. Birds were singing in the distance and the warmth of the sun's rays was starting to melt the icy blanket laying over the world. She continued to gaze at him for the next few minutes. He looked so peaceful when he slept. After a while she placed the coat on him and went back to where she had left her kimono and out it back on.

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InuYasha woke up from what felt to him like a very short nap. He looked down to see his haori laying across his chest. He glanced around the small clearing to see that Kagome was no where in sight. "Where did she wander off to now?" He asked himself in an annoyed tone. He was about to call for her when he heard a noise come from the trees near him. A moment later Kagome was beside him.

"Here I am!" She smiled, stating the obvious. InuYasha wondered why she had suddenly decided to warm up to him, then he remembered the haori. Could one kind gesture change her entire opinion of him? Apparently. He blushed slightly though he didn't really know why.

"All right. I guess we better get going." He turned his head away as he spoke, his growing an even deeper shade of crimson though his voice didn't show it. She looked so different when she smiled. It was almost like he was talking to a whole other person. Had she always been like this and he was just now noticing it?

"Thank you, for last night I mean. It was sweet." She was no longer smiling; she seemed rather shy all of sudden. Maybe it was because she had seen him blushing?

"Oh, that's ok... I, uh... wasn't really using it..." He knew his reply didn't make a lot of sense, but he was still trying to get over the fact that the word 'sweet' had been used in reference to him.

"InuYasha, I, um... well you see, I'm..." Kagome stammered as she tried to say exactly what it was that she needed to say. However, she never got a chance to finish because her stomach made a loud groan. She blushed and looked at the ground.

"You're hungry, huh? Don't worry, I can take care of that." InuYasha began rekindling the fire that had died during the night until it was once again a large blaze. "There's a river nearby so I'll go catch us some fish." He turned and began walking into the forest. Kagome's eyes followed him until his figure disappeared behind the trees.

InuYasha's mind was in a fit. He couldn't quit thinking about what she had said. Was all she wanted to say was that she was hungry?'

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A wandering monk strolled leisurely into the Higurashi Village. He scouted the area out until he had found the nicest house in the village. He would be paying them a visit come nightfall. He passed a small restaurant and decided to take a break. He was pleased when he saw that the serving girl was quite good looking. The town overall was a rather nice place. Of course, that was no surprise since a powerful lord lived nearby.

Two men walked into the hut. They took a seat at the table behind him. They were talking about something that sounded intereting, so the monk decided to listen in on their conversation.

"Did ya hear? The lord now thinks that his daughter was kidnapped by a youkai!"

"How awful! She's a goner if that's the case. Don't them youkai eat humans."

"Yeah, it's such a shame. She was a real looker too."

At that, the monk knew he had heard all he needed to know about the situaition. The house with the ominous cloud hovering over it would just have to wait. Tonight, he would be staying at the castle!

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It was getting late and the sky looked like rain. The monk walked through the village, heading in the direction of the castle. It wasn't too far of a walk, but the castle was a good distance from the town. As he passed out from under a large tree, the castle wall came into view. He groaned when he saw that he would have to climb a rather high hill to reach the entrance. He had heard that the castle's lord was a rather rude and unhospitable man. Surely, though, his trip would not be in vain.

A light drizzle started pouring as the man reached the gate. Two Gaurds were positioned beneath it and they asked him his business when he aproached.

"Why, I'm a monk and I've come to offer my services in finding the princess." He bowed slightly and flashed the gaurds a smile. However, they seemed hestitant to allow him entrance to the castle.

"His lordship has half the castle gaurd searching the mountains for the beast. We don't need the help of one lousy monk." The older of the two replied bitterly while moving to cover the gate.

"My, my. How clever! But is the castle gaurd specially trained to track and kill youkai? If he was able to beat bandits then mere weapons obviously do nothing against him. I have certain powers that allow me to battle even the most cunning of monsters, and if they don't work I could always exercise him. Now come, move aside. Allow me to have a word with your lord." The monk's speech seemed to be convincing enough and the gaurds cautiosly stepped aside.

A young page girl with long raven hair and a small bit of it put up on the side led him to the lord's chambers. When they arrived, the girl whispered something to the man standing gaurd outside the door. The said man nodded and opeded the door. He entered the room with the monk trailing behind him.

"There is a young monk here to see you, my lord." He stated simply and walked out of the room without recieving a reply. A man who looked to the monk to be in his fourties sat on the other side of the room, busy with instructions he was giving a gaurd. He then turned his attention toward the monk and addressed him.

"What is your business with me? I am a very busy man so get right to the point." The lord did not even glance at the monk as he spoke, instead he was writing a message on a large scroll.

"My lord," the monk began, "I have recently heard of your trouble with your daughter and wish to assist you. I am very skilled at hunting down and destroying youkai. I may be young but I have certain abilities that you will not find in anyone of nobler age. Allow to stay here for the night and in the morning I will begin my search for the demon. I would be very grateful if some of your gaurds could acompany me as well. I promise to return your daughter to you as soon as possible."

The lord remained silent for a few moments as the monk wondered if he had even heard his statement. After a while however, the lord cleared his throat and looked the monk over. His expresion was critical and the monk was now almost certain that he was going to be thrown out.

"I'm aware of what a problem certain types of youkai can be, and I feel that my men may in fact require your assistance. Therefore, you may stay one night in my castle and start on your journey tomorrow with a few of my gaurds. When you return my daughter you shall be given your reward. However, if you fail you will be given nothing." He paused to roll up the scroll he had been writing on and then looked toward the door. "Rin!" he hollered loudly. A moment later the young girl who the monk recognized as the girl who had been his guide came through the door.

"Yes, my lord?" She asked while bowing deeply.

"Take this monk to the east pavilion and find him a room."

"Yes, my lord" She said again and bowed just as deep. She then turned and began exiting the room. The monk stood and bowed toward his host before leaving to follow the young girl down the hall.

They continued walking and after turning quiet a few corners they came to a decent sized room that was furnished with standing curtains and a few small bonzai trees. In the alcove their was an old scroll depicting a scene from The Tale of Genji and a vase of freshly picked flowers. The girl turned toward the monk and said, "You can stay here for the night. there are futons in the closet." As she turned and was about to leave the room an older girl came in, apparently taking no notice of the visitor.

"There you are, Rin. I've been looking for you. What were you doing?" The monk couldn't help but notice that the woman was quite beautiful. She had long black hair that was tied off at the end and her eyes were a brownish red color that he found captivating. She looked like she was about 16.

Rin motioned toward him as she spoke to the woman. "I was just showing our guest to his room." Only now did the young woman take notice of the man standing behind the girl.

"Oh, I see." She turned toward him and smiled slightly as she bowed. "I'm sorry for barging in so suddedly."

"Not at all. It is I who should apologize for not introducing myself to such an exquisite beauty. I am Miroku Tachibana. And your name, might I ask? He bent over and kissed her hand as he spoke. She smiled shyly and quickly answered.

"My name is Sango Shimura." She pulled her hand away when he stood back up and continued speaking. "I am a servant of the lord's missing daughter."

"Ah, that is precisely my purpose here. I have been hired by your lord to rescue his daughter. Though I must say, I would be twice as motivated if she were as lovely as you." He snaked his arm around her waist as he spoke and rubbed a certain lower area of her body. Her faced grew crimson as blood rushed to her cheeks, partially out of embarasment and partially out of pure rage. She slapped him hard across the cheek and thought about batting him into the wall but decided that she would get fussed at for attacking a guest.

"My mistress is very pretty! And if you touch her that way I'll do more than slap you!" She yelled as she grabbed Rin by the sleeve and dragged her out of the room. "Honestly," She fumed as they continued walking back to Kagome's bed chamber. "If that THING is Kagome's only hope than heaven help her!"


	5. The Evil Temptress

Disclaimer: I still don't own InuYasha... but I will someday!

A/N: Finally! Chapter 5 makes it's appearance! You can all thank my English teacher for giving us a day to just sit and do nothing because I got some time to write! However, since school is back in session I have no idea when my next update will be or when I will get around to writing the next chapter of Where Broken Hearts Go. Oh, and also check out my new one shot Hanyou-Tai Business! As always, thank you all so much for reading and enjoy!

REVIEW!

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter Five: The Evil Temptress**

**By: Aya Kiana**

An ominous wind rustled through the trees in the dark night. A lone figure crouched in the branches of a one of the larger trees in the forest watching a campfire. She smirked as the dog ears atop the hanyou's head twitched lightly, proving to her that he had finally fallen asleep. The woman jumped to the ground without making the slightest sound and walked towards the fire.

"You're mine," she whispered with an evil smirk playing at her lips. With one swift motion it was done and the woman crept off with her prize as the night faded back into silence.

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InuYasha awoke to the sound of birds chirping in the early morning light. He subconsciously rubbed at his eyes and yawned as he turned to address Kagome. "Hey, girl, you gonna sleep all..." he stopped in mid sentence when he saw only her outer kimono lying abandoned on the ground by the fire. He looked around and called her name but there was no sign of her anywhere. He hurried over to where her kimono lay tossed on the ground. It looked just like it always had. There were no blood stains on it that would suggest that someone had hurt her. He felt like he was going crazy. All the things that could have possibly happened to her played in his mind. He stopped when something he hadn't even originally considered crossed his mind.

What if she ran away because she didn't trust him? It certainly wouldn't be the first time someone had betrayed him or run away from him because they were afraid of what he was. Maybe she thought he was leading her into a trap? After all, only a foolish girl would trust an almost complete stranger, especially one that had youkai blood. Maybe it wasn't entirely her fault. He hadn't exactly been very polite to the girl. His stupid attitude probably drove her off.

InuYasha walked slowly toward the river, hoping she had just decided to take a bath or something. When he arrived, he found exactly what he had expected. Nothing except for the stillness of the water rippling over pebbles on the river bank and the waves washing down the current. He called her name out one more time but got only the sounds of birds singing as his answer. He turned around and headed back toward the campfire. As he stepped up to the dying embers, he noticed something that he had somehow overlooked before. Lingering in the air around the camp was a female scent that was NOT Kagome's. Someone else had been at the camp last night!

InuYasha felt a wave of guilt wash over him for automatically assuming that she had abandoned him. Someone had taken her and here he was feeling sorry for himself! Just how big of an idiot was he? He needed to find out who kidnapped her and get her back. What if the bandits had been following them and had taken her again? That would make things easy. Humans were no problem for InuYasha, but the culprit was a woman and by the scent of her blood she probably wasn't a human. Though he could smell human blood mixed in with the woman's scent, he was fairly certain that that blood was someone else's, such as one of her former victims. There was a very faint smell of youkai blood among all the human scents. So, she was a youkai, he knew that much, though he couldn't tell what kind. There were no special smells mixed in with the overwhelming stench of blood.

He picked up Kagome's kimono and examined her scent. Whoever had kidnapped had either underestimated him or been completely unaware of the fact that he was a dog hanyou and could find her no matter where they tried to hide her, especially since they had been dumb enough to leave behind her kimono. He sniffed the air and took off running when he caught her scent. No matter what, he would find her!

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Kagome awoke to find herself engulfed in complete darkness. Her whole body ached and she felt as though she was sleeping on tons of round rocks. She rolled over but still could not feel any soft ground. '_Where am I?_' she wondered as she sat up on her knees. She looked all around but it was so dark she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. '_Where's InuYasha?_' She tried to stand but her legs sunk down into the rocks around her as if she was knee deep in snow.

"What's that smell?" she asked herself aloud. She had never come across this scent in her life and she hoped she never did again. It smelled terrible. She covered her nose with her sleeve to try and wave the feeling of nausea that was sweeping over her. "I gotta get out of here..." she said as she began trying to push her way threw the rocks all around her. Her hands moved the rocks out of her path so she could push her way through, though she wasn't heading in any particular direction. She gasped slightly as her finger went into a hole in one of the rocks and she threw it as far as she could.

Kagome was too afraid to scream, too afraid to move. She felt tears streaming down her face and tried her hardest not to start sobbing. '_Oh my God! These aren't rocks... they're human skulls!_' Her heart was racing in her chest and her breath was coming out in heavy pants. She was terrified! In the back of her mind, she realized now what the smell was but was freaking out too much to care. '_Who brought me here? Where's InuYasha? Oh God, his dead body could be two feet from me and I wouldn't even know it! I can't see anything!_' Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees on the mountain of skulls that surrounded her in the darkness. She let hot tears run freely down her face as she tried to move as little as possible. Somehow, she knew she wasn't alone in this pitch black hell hole. Someone was watching her, had been watching her from the start. She could feel eyes on her from every direction and she only hoped they were as blind as she was.

At that moment, a shrill feminine laughter echoed all around her, bouncing off invisible walls cloaked by darkness. Kagome realized the space she was in was apparentally not as large as she had first thought. "Who's there?" She screamed loudly, trying her hardest to sound brave but the slight whimper in her voice from where she had been crying made it all too obvious that she was scared to death. She turned around as she heard soft foot steps coming toward her. A soft light appeared from somewhere nearby and slowly grew until it illuminated the whole place in a faint glow.

Kagome examined the woman approaching her. She had short, blunt cut black hair that fell just passed her chin tied back with a red string. The outfit she wore was the most revealing thing Kagome had ever seen. It was a black, skin tight dress that stopped inches above her knees and had a slit going up one side. She had a belt tied around her waist showing off her flawless figure and the top was extremely low cut. She had on black gloves that went from her elbow to her middle finger, leaving her palms bare, and black cloth rapped around her tiny feet. To top off the outfit, she had a black ribbon tied around her neck.

The woman's blood red eyes stared at Kagome as an evil smirk played at her lips. She let out one last amused laugh before answering Kagome's question. "I'm Yura," she said in a seductive voice, "And I use hair to manipulate my victims. Poor little girl, you should not have incurred my wrath." She stepped closer to Kagome and gave her a pleased look. "Oh, what pretty hair you have! I'll have SO much fun playing with it!"

"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked with a bit of disbelief in her voice. "What did I ever do to 'incur your wrath'? You've got the wrong girl." Yura only laughed harder when Kagome had finished speaking. Kagome continued to stare at Yura as she laughed hysterically over something that was never meant to be funny. Abruptly stopping in her laughter, Yura gave Kagome a glare that made her blood run cold.

"Trust me," Yura bit back sharply, "I'm never wrong! You are my girl." Kagome continued to give Yura a disbelieving look. '_But what did I do?_' she thought desperately. As if reading her thoughts, Yura continued. "You know a hanyou by the name of InuYasha, do you not?" Upon seeing the look of shock and confirmation in Kagome's eyes, she spoke again. "Well, that's why." Her laughter once again echoed off the black walls in the small space as Kagome sat with her mouth gaping in utter shock. InuYasha? What did he have to do with Yura?

Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Yura's eyes were once again focused on her. "Now, girl, you will become my puppet." She said as hair appeared around her hands forming a cat's cradle. Kagome felt strands of hair moving across her body and beginning to constrict her.

"Stop! What are you doing?" she screamed as she tried to break free of Yura's grasp. She could feel her body becoming weaker as her mind slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

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A/N: So, we didn't see any of Miroku or Sango in this chapter. But I got a new little part of the plot started so who cares? Please REVIEW! It makes me soooo happy to know what you think! Also, if any of you get bored and wanna draw some fanart from my story, e-mail me and I'll post a link to your pic in the next chapter I write!


	6. The Moonless Battle

Disclaimer: I still don't own InuYasha, however this story is my own idea.

A/N: I'm soooo sorry it took me this long to update! I had 90 of this chapter done in early March, but then the end of the school year was busy. I had promised myself that I would write as much as possible during the summer but something happened to change that too. It was a very good something (actually someone) but that's the reason I've been so preoccupied lately. To be honest, I hope it doesn't change. I like writing and I want to finish these stories, but I'm in no hurry. I'll try and update before 2008 though, okay? xD

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter 6: The Moonless Battle**

**By AyaKiana**

The intense, blaring light of the midday sun shown down upon Kagome as she awoke in a clearing. "Where am I?" she mumbled as she put a hand to her aching head. The forest was painted shades of deep purple and red from the dead leaves littering the otherwise bare ground and those still clinging to life upon the various trees. Kagome shivered and hugged herself in an attempt to stay as warm as possible. She only had on her white under kimono and that wasn't enough to supply adequate heat in the cool air of late autumn.

She heard the wind blow the leaves upon the ground and knew that she was alone. Where was InuYasha? How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep by the fire. A cloud passed overhead casting its shadow on the girl and causing a small whimper to escape her lips from being robbed of the sun. A light rain began to fall along with Kagome's spirit. She was alone. All she wanted was to curl up into a ball and cry until her mother came and found her, like she used to do when she was small. But her mother wouldn't come. Her mother was dead.

Kagome entered the forest to try to escape the rain. The near leafless trees provided little shelter but Kagome didn't care. She say against the trunk of a bloodgood maple that still had nearly all of it's dark purple leaves and waited, though she wasn't sure for what. Perhaps InuYasha would find her. And what if he did? He would take her home. And what was waiting for her there? A father who saw her as an opportunity to tie himself with another wealthy family and a life she had no control over.

She envied the hanyou. If only she could have that kind of freedom, to go where ever she felt like and never have to answer to anyone. But it would be lonely. After all, InuYasha was lonely. Was it worth it? Was being alone worth the freedom of being able to see the world that existed outside those castle walls? Kagome hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon her knees. The sun had disappeared from the cloudy sky and a light drizzle continued to fall. She was afraid. What would she do if no one found her? Could she, a princess who until recently had never spent the night away from home, survive alone in the wilderness? Kagome declined from answering her thoughts. All she wanted was InuYasha. Tears began to stream slowly down her face, but to anyone watching it would have looked as nothing more than rain.

The crisp air of the late evening chilled the damp girl sending a shiver down her spine. It had stopped raining at least. However, night was only an hour or so away and Kagome was not keen on spending a night alone in the forest. The sun shone dully just above the horizon, casting a faint orangish glow upon the distraught girl. She hadn't moved from her spot leaning against the tree. Her face was expressionless as she gazed at the setting sun through bloodshot eyes spent of tears. How many hours had passed this way? It felt like an eternity. Her body had become numb from the cold but every so often a freezing wind would catch her off guard and chill her to the bone. She had a horrible headache and could swear that her hair had literally frozen over from how damp the rain had left it.

Kagome sneezed and curled up into a ball to keep warm, pressing her forehead against her knees. She thought about InuYasha once again. "Where are you?" she whispered to herself. Fresh tears began to spill from her eyes, soaking the fabric of her thin under kimono. Her muffled sobs echoed in the silence of the sleeping forest causing the broken girl to miss the faint crunching of the leaves that was drawing steadily closer.

"Kagome?"

Kagome's entire body froze, ceasing her crying and the heaving of her shoulders along with it. Could it really be? She raised her head slowly to regard the young man standing above her. Tear filled sapphire eyes met the calm amber orbs of her protector. She stared at him in disbelief for only a moment before launching herself into his arms and sobbing into his shoulder.

"InuYasha!!!" she cried out as she embraced him. She felt two strong arms wrap around her hesitantly, cradling her. She hugged him tighter around the neck, not wanting to release him for fear of losing him again.

"Kagome?" InuYasha asked in a whisper, hardly believing he had finally found her. "It's alright now. I'm here." His words must have comforted her because her sobbing died down and she loosened her death grip on him. He wrapped her autumn kimono around her icy skin. "Kagome, what happened?" he asked her hesitantly, unsure of how she would react to the question. He didn't want to make her burst out into tears again.

The distraught girl lifted her head from the hanyou's chest to stare into his clouded eyes. "What?" the shaky voice questioned in what can only be described as a squeak. Without really noticing, InuYasha placed his hand on her cheek and gently wiped away her tears. Silence passed between them as she continued to stare at him with wide, questioning eyes. Why frighten her more? A defeated sigh escaped his lips as his hand dropped back to its place at his side and he turned away.

"Nevermind." His voice had become its usual stern tone, though lacking the uncloaked annoyance with which he had once addressed her. The tenderness that had been present only a moment before was gone, and only now did Kagome realize it had been there at all. A faint blush crept across her porcelain skin as she recalled the look she had seen in his golden eyes staring back at her. All thoughts of her previous distress vanished as an awkward silence descended upon the reunited couple.

"Let's go," InuYasha barked after a few minutes. The hanyou began walking at a steady pace without waiting from an answer from his companion. Kagome started at the unexpected sound of his rough voice breaking the silence before blinking and trying to catch up to the boy. He seemed to be in a hurry for some reason and Kagome struggled to match his pace without tripping and falling into the mud. Speed walking in a kimono was not easy, she silently grimaced to herself.

However, much to Kagome's relief, InuYasha stopped after a few short minutes of their trek. He inspected the area critically before deeming it satisfactory and plopping down against a tree. Kagome couldn't help but notice that this clearing was significantly smaller than the ones they had stayed in on previous nights and even the one she had awoken in earlier that day.

"You know, InuYasha, there was an even better place right by where you found me." She tried to keep her comment from sounding like a complaint, not wanting to come off as being ungrateful, although she definitely preferred the larger clearing to this tiny one. InuYasha, however, remained unconvinced.

"This one's perfect." He stated in a voice that left no room for discussion. "There's even a hollow tree," he added when he saw her disapproving look.

"How nice!" She sang in the most bubbly voice she could muster, even though she was really asking herself, 'And what the hell does that have to do with anything?!?' She cast a final glance at her surroundings before turning to the dog-eared boy and asking, "Shouldn't we be gathering fire wood?"

"No," he replied, "We won't be needing any tonight. Now go to sleep." The hanyou shifted into a more comfortable position and closed his amber eyes. Kagome stared at him for a minute before pulling off her outer kimono and making herself a crude bed on the ground. The sun was just setting at that moment, but the girl was exhausted and the lack of total darkness did nothing to hinder her from falling fast asleep.

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Lavender eyes stared fixedly into the silent forest. The world was black with the kind of surreal darkness that eats away at the soul. InuYasha felt as though he were in a deep pit where nothing could penetrate his isolation. Only the stars gave off a faint glow in the moonless night sky. The tiny specks of far off light were the only evidence that he could still see at all, the only proof that he hadn't gone blind. A cricket's chirp sounded somewhere to his left, the insect's song being the only sign that he hadn't gone deaf. He might as well have lost his sense of smell for all the good it was doing him, the hanyou-turned-human thought sardonically. He had never felt so vulnerable; it was like thousands of eyes were gazing at him through the darkness.

A small moan sounded in front of him, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. He quickly regained his composure, reminding himself that it was only Kagome. The girl slept as though she were dead, and with his limited hearing, InuYasha had forgotten she was there.

He sat up straighter, willing himself to stay awake; as a human, it wasn't always easy. The boy allowed his eyes to stray and rested his gaze on Kagome. What had happened to her? He wouldn't know for certain whether or not she was kidnapped until morning, at which time he'd be able to search her body for a trace of the she-demon's scent that had been at the previous camp. Whatever it was, Kagome hadn't just wandered off; someone must have taken her. Otherwise, she would remember what had happened. The naïve girl didn't even realize she had been missing for two whole days.

InuYasha's thoughts were halted when the sound of a twig snapping met his ears. His whole body became alert and focused solely on his surroundings. Another sound echoed through the night. Someone or something was coming and judging by the careless racket they were making, they had yet to notice the two travelers' presence.

Sensing that the sound was still a ways off, InuYasha leapt to his feet and crept silently towards Kagome. He gently shook the girl awake and put a finger to her lips when she tried to speak.

Kagome's cerulean eyes blinked in a mixture of curiosity and exhaustion. She saw the shadowy outline of InuYasha and was about to ask him why he was waking her when his finger pressed softly against her lips. A light blush crept across her cheeks and she ducked her head, apparently not realizing that he couldn't see her face in the darkness.

She felt his hand grip her wrist and her heart began to beat faster as her blush deepened to a crimson shade. 'What is going on?' she asked herself. He pulled her forward and Kagome's eyes fluttered closed. Her mind was in rapture and she couldn't think clearly. She felt her body moving but she wasn't the one controlling it. Next thing she knew, she was tucked away inside the hollow tree and InuYasha was kneeling before her.

"No matter what, don't come out and keep absolutely silent." He whispered to her so quietly she could barely hear. Kagome continued to stare dumbfounded even after he had left the opening of the tree. She had never felt so stupid before in her life. Did she really think he was going to . . .? She shook her head back and forth quickly to dispel the embarrassing thoughts from her mind. She gazed out the opening in the tree, trying to find shapes in the darkness. The question returned to her mind as an ominous feeling overtook her, why had he woken her up?

InuYasha stood in the darkness, all of his sense straining for the slightest hint of anything unusual, his body rigid and poised for attack. Suddenly, a rustling in the trees sounded behind him and he turned just in time to see a katana brush past his face, drawing a thin line of blood from his cheek. The sword-like dagger impaled the earth behind him as InuYasha stood wide-eyed in shock.

A mirthless laugh resounded through the forest. The boy turned left and right trying to pinpoint the location from which the sound came but found only darkness. After what seemed an eternity, the echo died away and a feminine form appeared hovering in midair a few feet above InuYasha.

"Who the hell are you?" He barked in annoyance, perfectly masking the terror he was feeling inside. The black night hid his assailiant from view save for a faint outline of her exquisite form.

"I'm Yura," she replied in a sensual voice that made InuYasha cringe. "Are you lost, little doggy? I don't see your owner anywhere."

InuYasha didn't reply, but openly gaped at Yura. If she knew he was an inu-hanyou, then this wasn't her first time seeing him. 'She must be the one who kidnapped Kagome,' he reasoned. The woman was obviously a youkai. InuYasha groaned inwardly. 'I'm in deep shit!'

Yura eyed him for another moment in confusion before a look of amusument appeared on her face. "Where are your doggy ears, little hanyou? But wait, could I have caught you during your human transformation?" She said with condenscending glee. Human or no, InuYasha's attitude wouldn't allow him to remain quiet through such mockery, besides, he had a charade to keep up.

"Shut up, bitch, and return Kagome!"

"Don't worry about her, puppy," Yura answered with a malicious laugh, "You won't be seeing her again."

'Like hell I won't,' InuYasha thought as a trimphant smirk played across his lips. From the looks of things, Yura could see better in the dark than he could, but not well enough to see Kagome. As long as she remained hidden, no matter what the outcome of this battle was, she'd be safe.

Kagome listened to the exchange from her hiding place with bated breath. The high pitched voice of the intruder seemed oddly familiar to her. The conversation, however, baffled her. Had she been taken by this woman? She really wished she could see what was going on.

InuYasha's rough voice brought her from her thoughts as he yelled something at the woman who had revealed her name to be Yura. InuYasha didn't seem to know her, however, Yura obviously knew both InuYasha and herself, and that scared her. Bandits were one thing, could he handle a youkai?

With a wave of her hand, Yura summoned back her katana which freed itself from the soil and flew into her grasp. In a quick, fluid movement, she jumped to the ground and lunged at InuYasha with her arm poised to strike. He jumped back to the left, dodging the blade by mere inches. Yura refused to give up, however, and flung the sword at him. He winced as he felt the blade cut into his shoulder, drawing a river of blood.

The katana returned to its master's hand. Yura smirked wickedly as she held it to her lips and seductively licked the blood from the blade before continuing her assault. InuYasha struggled to avoid the onslaught of attacks, buy Yura was always one step ahead of him. What he couldn't figure out was why she was avoiding all his critical areas, opting to strike his limbs or merely scratch his skin. He cringed once again as he felt the familiar pain of the dagger digging into his flesh, this time grazing his arm.

"Dammit," he mumbled as he tried his best to ignore the pain that shot through him every time he moved. Once again, Yura tried to use his moment of weakness to strike out at him, but she got a little too close and InuYasha slammed his fist into her face, causing the woman to lose her advantage and retreat into the air.

Yura glared at him from her perch. "How dare you strike me!" She hissed.

InuYasha's lips curled into cocky smile, glad that he had finally been able to land a punch. "Quit squawking and fight me, bitch!" He retorted with renewed confidence. Yura was weak. If he were a hanyou, she would be nothing. All he had to do was hold out until dawn...

Yura leapt from her spot in midair and began swinging at InuYasha savagely. Her face no longer held a look of amusement, but was alit with her burning rage. 'Oh, shit! I pissed her off!' InuYasha thought to himself as he dodged the blade in Yura's deadly grasp.

Kagome watched the battle awestruck with horror. InuYasha was getting killed out there! And he appeared to be human! When had that happened?!? They had moved to the back of the clearing, farther away from her tree. In the back of her mind, Kagome wondered if InuYasha had done that intentionally. She now understood the necessity of a hollow tree.

'You were protecting me...' she thought guiltily, wondering why she always questioned him. She stared at his face tenderly before suddenly realizing that it had gotten much brighter. She glanced at the horizon before ducking further back in her tree. The last thing she wanted was for Yura to spot her. InuYasha was having enough trouble taking care of himself. The last thing he needed was to have her to worry about protecting too. Sunrise was less than an hour off and the fearful girl prayed for a miracle. If the sun rose, Yura would surely see her. 'Please God, don't let the sun rise!'

'Please God, let the sun rise soon!' InuYasha prayed as he dodged the blade and tried a counterattack which proved to be a fruitless attempt. Yura lunged forward once again, causing InuYasha to jump backwards in order to dodge the katana. Then, something happened that he would never live down. He tripped over a root and fell flat on his back!

Yura was on him instantly, straddling his hip with her dagger held high, ready to be thrust into his heart. InuYasha struggled to move but something that felt like wire was pinning his limbs to the ground. In his weakened human body, he lacked the strength to break his bonds. Was this the end?

"Any last words, puppy?" Yura asked, her voice returning to its sensual, mocking tone. Had InuYasha been in the mood for comebacks, he probably would have replied something like, 'Yeah, why the fuck are you attacking me in the first place?!?' However, his mind was focused on other things, namely, the girl hiding in the tree a few yards away. He turned his head to the side, not wishing to see the blade impale him, but the site he was met with terrified him more than death ever could. 'NO!!!' his mind screamed as his eyes widened in fear.

Kagome was racing toward him with a desperate look in her eyes. A pleased 'hmph' sounded above him and he instantly returned his gaze to Yura. To his surprise, she was still looking at him, apparently having yet to notice the girl running toward them. She brought the katana down quickly and InuYasha's eyes widened in anticipation.

As long as he lived, he would never forget what happened next. In the blink of an eye, as the hanyou-turned-human took what he thought would be his last breath, Yura was torn off of him with her blade mere inches from his chest as Kagome tackled her to the ground.

InuYasha continued to stare at where Yura had just been, not quite believing that he was still alive. However, he quickly recovered from the shock and ripped out of Yura's invisible bonds, which had weakened due to her lack of concentration. He was on his feet in an instant and saw Kagome still on top of Yura, who was also just recovering from the shock.

Yura glared daggers at Kagome and before the girl knew what was happening, some invisible force pulled her back and sent her flying through the air. Luckily, InuYasha was there to catch her before her body impacted the hard ground. He set her down gently before pushing her behind him in order to shield her from Yura. The woman was now on her feet and smirking wickedly.

"Oh, look at the little guard doggy protecting its master. How sweet!" She cooed to InuYasha before setting her eyes on Kagome. The frightened girl quickly shot her gaze to the ground when Yura shifted her eyes to her. "And where have you been hiding?" Yura's smile seemed to grow a mile as she spoke. "Now the fun can really start."

InuYasha was about to repy to Yura's taunts when he was silenced by the pain of a sharp object digging into his back. He let out a cry of agony, the attack catching him completely off guard. As he turned to look behind him, he was shocked to see Kagome staring back at him with a blank expression and a glazed look in her eyes. Her right hand was held up in front of her, as if to display it to him. There was a dark glowing light protruding from her fingertips, stained with his blood.

InuYasha quickly put some distance between himself and his new opponent as Kagome raised her hand to attack him again. However, he made sure to keep closer to her than Yura was, in case the need should arise for him to defend her again. Yura, on the other hand, had retreated to her spot in midair and was sitting with one knee crossed over the other cleaning the blood from her blade with a dark cloth. Clearly, she intended to be nothing more than a spectator in this battle.

"What the hell did you do to her?!?" InuYasha yelled, his voice dripping with hatred.

Yura seemed very pleased with herself. "I merely made her my puppet. You'll find that she is much stronger than a normal human, such as yourself," She replied, her smile and voice annoying InuYasha more than ever. "Kill her if you like. It really doesn't matter to me."

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A/N: This was the first fight scene I've ever written. I hope it wasn't too awful. lol xD Anyway, I tried my best to finally have a chapter that was of decent length and I think I succeeded pretty well with that. It took me forever to write it though. From now on, I'll try and have chapters that are about this length. No promises on when the next update will be though. Just e-mail me if you get tired of waiting and tell me to get to work on it already. I'll understand. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! Until next time then! Byez!

Review!!!


	7. Budding Affections

**For Always and Forever After**

**Chapter 7: Budding Affections**

Inuyasha's attention returned once again to Kagome as she lunged at him with inhuman speed, her hand poised before her like a dagger. Dodging would have been simple enough in his hanyou form, but as a mere human it was all he could do to stay one step ahead of her assault. Keeping on constant defense left him little time to analyze the situation for a way to free Kagome, but what else could he do? Harming her simply wasn't an option. All through the relentless attack, her lifeless eyes remained fixed, unseeing – a doll's eyes. Even her movements were like those of a puppet on a string.

As if fending off Kagome wasn't difficult enough, Yura continued to taunt him from her perch in midair, urging him to dispose of the girl and snickering at him whenever Kagome managed to draw blood.

'_Laugh all you want, bitch. When this is all over we'll see who's laughing_,' Inuyasha thought smugly. Yura had no way of knowing that the dawn would undo his transformation. Then he could easily out-maneuver Kagome, get to Yura, and shut her damned mouth once and for all. With Yura dead, whatever spell was controlling Kagome should be broken as well. And dawn was drawing closer with every minute that passed… Already the darkness was clearing and his human eyes could just make out Yura's silhouette against the moonless sky.

Inuyasha jumped back and feigned left to avoid a strike from Kagome, when suddenly she rose up several feet into the air and came down on him rapidly, catching him off guard. Her faintly glowing right hand buried itself deep into his left shoulder, causing him to cringe in pain and stumble back. Inuyasha's mind was racing. Kagome had just flown! Mind control may be able to heighten strength and speed, but that kind of trick wasn't capable of making humans fly. What had Yura done to her?

In the pre-dawn light Inuyasha watched Kagome's movements carefully and discovered something he had overlooked before. She wasn't walking; in fact, her legs rarely moved at all. Each time she came at him, Kagome was gliding through the air, her feet mere centimeters above the earth. Mind control wasn't this sloppy. Clearly, her body was being controlled by something other than her mind, which was evidently on holiday. The blank look on her face and hollowness of her eyes attested to that. She was apparently in some sort of trance which left her completely immobile. Inuyasha cursed inwardly. This new revelation complicated things a bit. If he killed Yura, the physical control she held over her victim would end, but it didn't necessarily follow that Kagome would wake up. Yura could have poisoned her or given her some sort of drug. It may be the effects would wear off with time, but it was also possible that killing Yura without finding out what she had done would leave Kagome comatose, never to awake.

Inuyasha's focus returned fully to the battle when he felt his back brush up against a large tree. '_Shit' _he groaned, his hand gripping his injured shoulder, _'cornered_.'

Kagome approached him slowly this time, as if relishing the moment. Her arm pulled back as if ready to land a punch, yet her hand was still poised as a dagger, her fingers covered up to the knuckles in Inuyasha's fresh blood. As the blow came toward him, Inuyasha's hand shot out and caught her wrist. "Kagome!" He called out to her, hoping the effort wasn't futile. "Kagome, listen to me!"

Yura's shrill laughter pierced the night. "Ready to beg for your life now, dog?" She was closer, but still out of his reach so long as he remained in human form. "You're asking the wrong person. Beg for me now and maybe I'll let you be my lap doggy."

"Go to Hell, bitch," he spat out while still holding off Kagome's attack. Yura merely scoffed, and Inuyasha found that Kagome's other hand was hurtling toward him now. He caught her left wrist with his free hand and pushed off the tree with all his might. Kagome offered no resistance, and in a moment Inuyasha had Kagome pinned beneath him against the ground, his hands holding her wrists firmly against the earth.

"Have you decided the girl is expendable after all?" Yura practically cooed, giddy to see Inuyasha beginning to fight back.

"Shut up!" he roared before turning his attention towards Kagome. He bent his head low so that his dark bangs caressed her forehead and cheek and whispered desperately into her ear. "Kagome, if you can hear me then don't be afraid. I promise I'll get you out of this. Kagome, I need you to be strong. I need you to fight Yura. Your eyes are open, Kagome. Your body and mind are your own. Wake up, Kagome!" But when he looked back at her face, the same glazed blue eyes stared off into the distance. More than anything that had come before in the battle with Yura, Kagome's glassy eyes after his emotional plea felt like defeat.

A sharp pain shot through him and Inuyasha screamed as Yura's katana buried itself in his back. He stumbled quickly to his feet and ripped out the offending weapon. Turning toward Yura with hatred burning in his eyes, he hurled the dagger toward her with all the strength he could muster.

Yura merely flitted to the side and laughed playfully as the katana returned to her grip. "Never bark at your master, little inu, or I'll have to see that you're punished."

Suddenly Kagome was off the ground and charging him again. Inuyasha tried to grab for her wrist but missed, swiping instead through the air just above it. At that moment Kagome's forearm fell limp and the momentum of her body shoved them both up against the tree. Inuyasha felt bonds snaking around him and holding him fast against the trunk, unable to move, yet he could see nothing. Now he understood how Yura was controlling Kagome. When he missed her wrist he had cut through some infinitely fine string that Yura was manipulating. That's why Kagome's arm had fallen slack. It was the same for the katana. Yura didn't have telekinesis; she probably couldn't even really fly. She was using wires or string of some sort to control the things around her. Inuyasha thrashed against his invisible bonds with what little strength he had left but to no avail; he had figured out her secret too late to avoid falling victim to it.

Satisfied that Inuyasha was safely neutralized, Yura descended to stand before him. "Found yourself in quite a tangle now, have we, my pet?" She ruffled her hair a bit and Inuyasha understood what she was playing at.

"This is your hair? That's sick!" Even pinned down, Inuyasha wasn't above trying to injure the woman's self-esteem, but Yura only laughed.

"It's mine now, but well… let's just say that wasn't always the case," she smirked wickedly as she approached him and ran her fingers intimately through his long tresses. "You do have such beautiful hair even as a mortal. Still, what I want is your luxurious, silver locks. When will you be returning to your true form?" Inuyasha could tell Yura believed that she had won. If he could only hold out another few minutes…

"Keh, I wouldn't be so anxious for that if I were you. I may be a hanyou, but you wouldn't last five minutes, you pathetic excuse for a youkai!"

"Ah-ah," Yura teased, clearly not feeling threatened. "Kill me and your little bitch here is lost forever I'm afraid. After that touching display I know you wouldn't risk her life by taking mine." Yura stepped back as Kagome once again began to approach Inuyasha.

"Just what did you do to her, you bitch? Release Kagome now!" Inuyasha tried pulling against the threads of hair binding him, but they continued to hold.

"There's no need for you to worry about that. You'll be just like her in a moment. Killing you now would keep me from seeing your lovely silver hair, so I think I'll keep you alive as my puppet and harvest all the hair from you I want." Yura held up a small seed and spun it in her fingers. "This is a seed of the Kansei plant. When manipulated with youkai energy it becomes a parasite that steals the life energy from its host, leaving their body and mind empty. The only way to break free of it is to destroy the plant, however…" Yura dropped the seed into Kagome's open palm and the unconscious girl turned toward him. "…that won't be possible. Just as I've done with this girl here, if I deposit the plant close to your heart there is no way to remove it once it has sprouted without killing the host."

Inuyasha felt all the color drain from his face. '_No…_' He refused to believe it. He _would_ find a way to bring Kagome back! "You… you bitch! Did I say five minutes? I'm going to make you beg for death for hours before sending you to Hell for what you've done to her!" Yura's only response was to erupt in laughter as Kagome began closing in on him, ready to dig her hand in close to his heart so she could plant the seed that would make him a mindless, still living corpse… "Kagome! Kagome, fight it!" Yura was too lost in her gloating laughter to notice Kagome's steps faltering, slowing down… "Kagome, I'm here!" Inuyasha saw her head lift toward him and knew that Yura wasn't the one behind that movement. Daybreak was fast approaching and he was reaching her… "Kagome! Kagomeee!"

A piercing light burst forth from Kagome's body as Yura screamed, retreating quickly to her perch in the sky. When the light cleared, Kagome was on her knees before the tree trying desperately to catch her breath. She looked up hurriedly, worried, "Inuyasha!" Tears were just beginning to pierce her eyes.

"It's fine, Kagome. I'm here," Inuyasha reassured her as he knelt to make sure she was alright. He then turned an icy glare on Yura, floating overhead and for once not in the mood for laughs. Half her body, the side that had been turned toward Kagome, was scorched as if badly burned. Inuyasha had taken advantage of Yura's distraction at that moment to break free from the hair that bound him. Now he was free and Kagome was back to normal, no power on heaven or earth could save Yura from his wrath. "You wanted silver hair? Come and get it, bitch!" As he stood to face her, the first rays of dawn broke over the mountains, fell upon Inuyasha's statuesque form and transformed the dark-haired human male into the arrogant young half-breed.

Yura's lip turned down in a sneer before she launched a web of hair in his direction and turned to flee. Inuyasha's hand went instantly to the sword at his hip, and Kagome marveled as he drew the blade in her presence for the first time to discover that it was enormous, much too big for its sheath, and looked more like a fang than a sword. With one swing he sliced through the web of hair and leapt into the air after Yura, jumping at least 20 feet, an impossible jump… Kagome had thought Yura incredibly fast, yet Inuyasha reached her before the woman had time to go even a few yards. It was over in an instant. Nothing was said, Yura'd barely had time to see the blade swinging toward her before it had run her through and the demoness dissolved from the world, leaving not a trace.

Inuyasha landed deftly and turned toward her, the rising sun at his back sending streams of golden light all along his battle-worn form as he rested the dull blade of his sword along his shoulders. Kagome felt as though she were seeing him, the _real_ him, for the first time. He seemed to her like a conquering hero. His bloodstained appearance and the fact that he looked for all the world like a true youkai would have terrified most people, but the way that he gazed back at her made Kagome see him for what he really was: someone who had been faced with death and still refused to raise a hand against her.

"Are you hurt at all?" he asked as he approached her. His voice was quite calm for someone who moments earlier had been locked in a fight to the death, and it was a comical question anyway coming from someone who looked as though he had lost too much blood to still be conscious, let alone standing.

"Me? Inuyasha, you're covered in blood!" Kagome answered after a moment's hesitation. She looked genuinely worried that he might pass out on her any second.

"This is nothing. Mostly just scratches, and now that I'm a hanyou again they're already closing." He was surveying the area, perhaps trying to decide which way they should head now. "Anyway," he added after a moment, "I'm not so fragile as you."

Kagome was in the process of standing when she suddenly doubled over in pain. Inuyasha was kneeling beside her instantly, clearly worried. "What's wrong?" he demanded, obviously not so calm as he was putting on a moment ago.

Kagome pressed her hand to her lower left side and brought it back to find her hand covered in blood. The deep orangish-red hue of her kimono made the stain difficult to spot against the fabric. "Oh God…" she mumbled. Blood had never bothered her in the past, but then again she had never had this much of it pouring out of her. She began to feel dizzy.

"Kagome, let me see," Inuyasha instructed as he moved closer and peeled back the outer layer of her kimono from her left shoulder. The white kimono beneath was stained a sickening shade of red all along her left side. "Dammit, my powers are still returning or I'd have known about this earlier."

"Yura.. her katana sliced me," Kagome spoke calmly enough, the memory coming back to her. "When she was about to stab you and I jumped on her, the blade grazed me. I thought it was just a scratch…" Her voice was steady enough, but Inuyasha could tell she was worried. And why shouldn't she be? Honestly, fragile humans!

"Shit," Inuyasha cursed as he scooped her up into his arms. "You're telling me you were bleeding out the entire time you were flying around?" He seemed annoyed, but Kagome got the feeling it wasn't directed at her. '_And not to mention she probably widened the wound in the process_,' Inuyasha added silently to himself.

"Sorry to be so much trouble," she offered meekly. As if she hadn't caused him enough trouble for one day.

"Don't apologize, stupid girl. You got that wound saving my ass, remember?" He was running very fast now with her in his arms, and Kagome watched as the world sped by around them. She wondered vaguely where he was taking her, but her eyes were starting to feel heavy.

"Oh, that's right," a light smile played at her lips. "You're incredible, do you know that?" Inuyasha saw her eyes beginning to droop and grew more worried.

"Don't be stupid, of course I know that!" He bragged as he came to a halt by a swiftly running stream. "Stay with me now, Kagome. You need to clean that blood off." He set her down gently against a boulder and put a hand to her shoulder, trying to coax her back into focus.

"Feh," she answered stubbornly, and Inuyasha couldn't help but snicker to hear her adopt his catchphrase.

She had lost too much blood to take care of this herself, so he eased her out of her outer kimono and half-carried her into the center of the running stream. The water turned crimson around them as fresh blood seeped from both garments and Kagome winced, still clinging to consciousness. "Stings, does it? You aren't a dainty little castle brat anymore, Kagome. You're a fighter like me, and you'll have a scar to prove it." She heard Inuyasha speaking to her again from what sounded like someplace far off, and though she couldn't make out the words his tone was playful and comforting. With that, she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

When Kagome awoke she felt cold and weak, even though a tall fire was blazing mere feet from her. The sky was black once again with the slightest sliver of a moon shining above. She turned and saw Inuyasha in his usual position against a tree, fully alert and keeping watch over her. She smiled when he looked toward her and began lifting her body on to her elbows.

Inuyasha was at her side instantly. "Don't get up. You need to rest."

"Aren't you cold over there?" Kagome asked in response, settling back down beneath the cover she just now realized was his haori.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Inuyasha had never been particularly bothered by the cold. He only built the fire for her benefit. After living in the wilderness as long as he had cold was something he was used to.

"I don't want you to be cold," Kagome answered sleepily.

Inuyasha chuckled a bit. "And why should you care?" he bantered playfully.

"Inuyasha…" she breathed out slowly, her eyes drooping with fatigue and already half-gripped by dreams. But in spite of all that she was still looking at him, looking right into him with those cerulean eyes that seemed bottomless as the sea. A crimson blush crept onto his face as he tried to decipher the emotion in her eyes. It was something close to pity, which he knew well. When he was a child, pity in a woman's eyes as she looked down at him was something he had seen often enough, and he knew this wasn't it. This was something he didn't have a name for.

"Get some sleep," he instructed softly as he scooped down to place a gentle kiss upon her forehead. She was already lost in slumber by the time he sat back up. "Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered to the sleeping form, brushing his hand lightly across her cheek.

* * *

By the time Kagome awoke the next morning the sun was well overhead and the fire had burned down to embers. She sat up slowly, mindful of the pain in her side, and looked about. Inuyasha was nowhere in sight. "Inuyasha!" she called loudly, already worried.

"Oi, woman, keep it down!" Inuyasha barked as he strolled casually into the clearing holding a stick skewered with still wiggling fish. "Breakfast in a minute. You need to eat after losing so much blood yesterday," he said as he jammed one end of the stick into the blackened earth and began rekindling the fire. When the fire blazed and the fish were cooking properly, he turned toward Kagome and took back his haori from over her.

Kagome was about to thank him for letting her use it when she noticed how bare her legs were. The fabric of her autumn kimono had been torn away to inches above her knees. "What happened?!" she screeched.

"What are you on about now?" Came the casual reply from the hanyou as he sniffed absently at the grilling fish.

"My clothes! I'm dressed like a common harlot!" Inuyasha cast a glance at her as if to see what she was talking about. True, the skirt of the kimono was quite a bit shorter, but youkai women wore things that were much more revealing. Inuyasha really didn't see what the big deal was.

"Unless you wanted to bleed to death, I needed the fabric for bandages and to wash away the blood." He tried to sound nonchalant, but there was the hint of a blush in his cheeks that gave him away. Kagome found herself blushing as well as she realized what he meant. Quite obvious really, but she hadn't thought of it 'til now. Inuyasha was the one who had bandaged her wounds, which meant he had undressed her… Her face was red as a tomato and she wasn't really sure what to say. No man had even seen her bare legs since she was a small girl. Inuyasha shot a glance at her when she didn't reply and instantly went on the defensive when he saw how flushed her face was. "I didn't see anything, I swear!" He was clearly quite flustered.

"Liar!" Kagome accused, pretending for a moment that she was really very mad and almost believing it herself. Inuyasha believed it too.

"What did you want me to do, let you bleed to death? It's not like I wanted to see your body!" He realized too late that that might not have been the best choice of words and cast a frightened glance at Kagome, expecting unparalleled rage. He was surprised to instead find her smiling.

"Oh, shut up. I'm just teasing. But you're not allowed to ever do it again." She got to her feet carefully and came toward him to inspect their breakfast. The fish were nearly done and smelled wonderful. "How are your wounds, then?" she asked, looking him over for signs of blood or bandages.

"Feh, didn't I tell you?" Inuyasha removed one side of his haori to reveal the place Kagome's hand had pierced his shoulder. The wound was nearly gone, and the multiple lesions she was sure had been on his chest had healed completely, leaving not a trace. She also noted that he had a very well-sculpted chest but pushed the thought aside.

Kagome was on her second fish before he spoke again. "That light… what was that?" Inuyasha had been wondering how Kagome managed to break free from Yura's spell and destroy the Kansei plant after the woman told him that doing so would kill her. He had an idea, but…

Kagome thought for a moment before replying. "I don't know," she began, "I've never done anything like that. I could hear you calling me, then I saw you there against the tree. It didn't look like you but I knew it was you, and you were in trouble and you were calling for me. I felt like I had to answer. I started calling back to you but my voice wouldn't come. My body wouldn't listen to me and I panicked, then I felt this heat well up inside of me and burst out."

"That was miko energy, Kagome," Inuyasha watched her for a reaction as he spoke. "Yura put a seed inside you to help her control you and said that trying to remove it would kill you. You destroyed it with pure energy without harming your own body at all."

Kagome took a moment to let that sink in. "They say my grandmother was a powerful psychic," she replied finally. "Still, I never dreamed that I might inherit some of that power. I've always just been an ordinary human."

Inuyasha snorted. "You, ordinary? Not anymore." The hanyou was currently working on devouring his third fish, but continued to ponder the matter aloud. "The only thing I don't understand is why your powers weren't discovered sooner. Normally girls like you are sensed by older miko and taken for training as children. Living in a big castle town it seems like someone should've noticed and given you proper lessons. How did you end up in palace service anyway?"

Kagome stopped nibbling on her fish and stared blankly at Inuyasha for a long moment. "I'm not in palace service." She said finally, as if it were something he should already know.

"Yes, you are. You told me you worked at the Higurashi Clan Castle." Now it was Inuyasha who eyed Kagome suspiciously, wondering what she was playing at.

"No, I said I live there." Inuyasha didn't seem to see the difference, so she went on. "I live there because I'm Higurashi Kagome."

"Are you telling me you're related or something?" Inuyasha seemed to have trouble believing that she was who she said she was, that or he was just plain dense.

"I'm telling you that I'm Lord Higurashi Hideyoshi's daughter." She answered flatly.

Inuyasha chuckled and Kagome felt her former anger toward him rekindling. "Oh, come off it! You, a princess?" He was genuinely amused at the idea of Kagome as a member of the nobility. The glare she shot him in response not only shut Inuyasha up quickly enough, it nearly turned him to stone.

"Well excuse me for not being dainty enough!" Kagome spat out as she leapt to her feet, prepared to storm off in a proper rage. She never got that far, however, as she'd forgotten the katana wound in her side. Getting up so quickly had pulled at it, causing her to wince and fall back to her seat.

"Hey, easy now! If you're not careful you'll open your wound again." Inuyasha was at her side now, making sure the injured girl hadn't done just that. She was still silently fuming, her pride injured now along with her body. "So, you really mean it then? That is, about being a princess or whatever?" He looked up at her as he asked the question, still half expecting her to take it back. The way she continued to glare daggers at him convinced him that she really was being dead serious. "I believe you," he assured her, "Just didn't expect it. See, I grew up around nobles and the women were all, well, not quite like you." With that statement Kagome opened her mouth to let him really have it, but Inuyasha cut her off. "Which is a good thing! Spoiled brats, the lot of them, only…" For the briefest of moments Inuyasha looked more hurt than Kagome had ever seen him, and that was saying a lot. She felt her anger melt away instantly at seeing that much pain in his eyes. "Never mind." He said as he stood.

"Inuyasha?" she called after him, catching at the sleeve of his haori. He turned to look at her and saw her gazing up at him with concerned, questioning eyes.

Inuyasha released a sigh and collapsed into a sitting position beside Kagome. He looked away from her as he said, "It's just, my mother was a princess." Kagome could tell from the way he used the past tense that his mother was no longer living. She could understand how that felt…

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. My mother died last year too. I still miss her so much." She tried to turn the conversation away from such a depressing subject. After all, she wasn't used to seeing Inuyasha this way. "I suppose I should apologize to you for getting so mad though. I would never have guessed that you were a prince either!"

Inuyasha smirked, his spirits already returning. "Keh, my father would have to be a lord for me to be a prince. Well, a human lord anyway…"

"You mean he was a lord?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious.

"A youkai lord, but that's not the same. He wasn't a lord because his father was one. He was a lord because of his own strength. The Lord of the Western Lands, they called him."

"He was the lord of the entire west?" Kagome was impressed. She never even knew that youkai lords existed but supposed there would have to be some sort of social hierarchy even in the demon world. "A lost princess and a half-blood prince; it's like a fairy tale!" she giggled.

At that Inuyasha stood abruptly and began putting out the fire. "We'd better get you back to your castle, princess." Inuyasha replied, half-mockingly. "Your father must have half his samurai out searching for you. I'll bet the whole place is in an uproar!"

Kagome's previously flawless smile faltered, but she tried to brush it off as she jumped (carefully this time) to her feet and chirped out, "Kay!" Inuyasha must have seen through it though, because he was eyeing her strangely.

"What's wrong?" he asked bluntly as he turned to face her.

Kagome wasn't normally the kind of girl to discuss her problems so openly, but after he had opened up to her, how could she not do the same for him? "It's my father," she admitted cautiously. "We got into a big fight just before I was kidnapped. He probably even thinks that I ran away on my own."

Inuyasha didn't really know what to say. Comforting women wasn't something he'd had much experience with and that was obviously exactly what Kagome needed right now. He decided to take a stab at it anyway. "You're his daughter and you've been missing for nearly a week now. I bet whatever you fought about won't make a difference once you're home."

His words evidently didn't help much, because Kagome only smiled sadly in response. "You don't know my father," was all she said before walking off toward the dirt trail that snaked past their clearing.

* * *

The midday sun beat down upon the monk and his samurai companions as they made their way through the mountain paths. For three days now Miroku had been searching for some sign of the Higurashi princess or of the demon who took her but to no avail. Truth be told, he was starting to suspect the worst. In his experience, princesses who were found a number of days after a youkai abduction usually weren't found alive. The guards also expected as much. Nobody talked about finding Princess Kagome anymore unless they were referring to her body.

Miroku sighed heavily. It was a shame really. If he didn't make some headway into the case in the next couple of days he would have no choice but to give the guards the slip. He certainly didn't want to return to a man like Lord Higurashi as a failure, but if that happened he would never get the chance to see the princess's handmaiden again. If only Kagome could still be alive somewhere!

"Lord Monk!" One of the guards hailed Miroku as the band crested the top of a hill.

"Something to report?" Miroku asked hopefully. The guards hadn't been much use thus far, but at the same time there had been very little in the way of clues.

"There's someone in the valley ahead, hoshi-sama." The guard led Miroku to the top of the hill and pointed out the figure below. It was difficult to make them out clearly, but there was definitely someone down there.

'_Probably nothing_,' Miroku thought to himself, but he kept his attention carefully focused on the figure as they moved down the side of the hill. Before long Miroku was certain it was a woman, though her kimono was scandalously short. "What color kimono was the princess last seen wearing?" Miroku asked of the guards standing nearest him.

"An orange and red layered kimono with a maple leaf pattern," one of them answered.

'_Interesting_,' Miroku mused. Those were exactly the colors he could distinguish on this girl's robes. Suddenly a second figure emerged on the path walking several paces behind the girl. From this distance Miroku couldn't be certain whether the person was male or female, but the silvery-white shade of the red-clad figure's hair made him suspect it was a youkai. Miroku halted the guards. "Stay back, all of you. I'll go ahead alone and confront the demon. Listen for my signal. I'll let you know when it is safe to approach."

* * *

Kagome paced leisurely along the mountain path, not in any particular hurry to get anywhere. Now that she was no longer afraid of being stranded in the wilderness, she was almost sad to be going home. She heard Inuyasha's faint footfalls trailing behind her, sometimes walking along the path and at other times taking to the trees. It had been a rather somber walk, what with Kagome lost in her thoughts and Inuyasha being unusually quiet.

Inuyasha's thoughts were of a similar vein. At first he couldn't wait to get rid of her, but now that he had gotten to know Kagome he would be disappointed to see her go. After all, she probably knew him better than anyone in his life ever had besides his mother. No human or youkai had ever been willing to stay so long at his side. Kagome wasn't like him though; she had a place that she belonged, and he knew that even though he would miss having her around to talk to and argue with it was the right thing to take her back.

Just then Inuyasha's nose picked up a new human scent. Someone was coming down the path ahead of them, and judging from the stench of sake, ink and incense Inuyasha determined that it must be a monk. Inuyasha's instincts told him this wasn't a chance encounter. The monk must surely have been hired to find the missing princess. He suddenly longed to call after Kagome and lead her off the path, to keep the monk from finding her. He wasn't ready to let her go; he'd thought they would have another couple days together at least. Even if the monk didn't find her, he could always take her home himself… Inuyasha knew he was being ridiculous. Kagome wanted to go home. Hell, any girl would. Just before the monk came into view before them Inuyasha leapt into the branches above him and out of sight.

Kagome turned when the sound of Inuyasha's footsteps behind her suddenly ceased. "Inuyasha?" she called softly into the stillness around her, but no answer came. As she turned back around a monk rounded the bend in front of her. She watched him curiously but didn't step forward.

"Excuse me, miss?" The monk began politely. "I'm searching this forest for the missing princess of the Higurashi Clan. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

Kagome grimaced, but there was no backing out now. "Yeah, that's me," she answered simply.

"Wonderful!" the monk was quite pleased. He rushed to her and bowed deeply. "Are you well, my lady? We have been searching high and low for you for days!"

Kagome smiled in spite of herself. She had never seen this monk before; he obviously wasn't one of her father's usual lackeys. "Yes, I'm fine," she responded warmly.

"What happened to you? I was told you were stolen by a youkai! And wasn't there another person here just a moment ago?"

Kagome had yet to come up with a plausible cover story, so she kept her reply as short as possible. "Oh, I managed to escape.. and no? I've been lost in these woods for days all alone." She tried her best to sound appropriately pathetic and frightened.

"Well you are safe now, my lady. I have an escort of guards who will return us safely to your father with all haste." '_Yeah, I was afraid of that…_' Kagome groaned inwardly. Assured of her health and safety, Miroku moved on to other matters. "Ahem," he cleared his throat and tried to sound as dashing as possible, "If you don't mind my saying, my lady, you truly are an exquisite beauty. Such heavenly form!" Miroku was eyeing her legs in a way Kagome felt to be inappropriate for a man of the cloth.

"Yes, actually, I do mind!" she hissed icily. "Now where are these guards you spoke of?" Kagome demanded, feeling suddenly that she may need protection after all. As Miroku went ahead of her jabbering on about her good-fortune in escaping from a demon, Kagome cast one final glance into the forest behind her, her eyes searching desperately for some sign of Inuyasha. Was it really all over? Was he gone? '_But I didn't even get to say goodbye_,' she thought sadly as she allowed herself to be taken into the custody of her father's guard. '_Inuyasha, will I ever see you again?_'


End file.
